Electronic Communications, the Pleasures and Perils

By Andy Terry

In a little less than a generation, computers have gone from being cumbersome and expensive devices that could swallow the entire desk of those who could afford them.  Today, those obsolete behemoths have been mostly replaced by tablets and cell phones with processing power that was once unimagined.  With these devices, the internet has become all but ubiquitous. Bills are paid, grandchildren are facetimed, and small groups gather in this season of distancing.  Yet while enjoying all of this convenience, there are bad actors who make their living preying on the unsuspecting consumer by turning their otherwise user experiences into nightmares. This sometimes results in irreparably damaging phones or other devices. I’d like to spend the next few moments, speaking of these threats and how to avoid them.

While some hackers will devote time and energy to defeating the passwords of high value targets, like banks or credit providers, most will rather let the unsuspecting user provide it voluntarily.  Most commonly, this is done through various “phishing” techniques to have one simply reply to the email, to  “spoofing” where the individual may take on the false identity of an entity like Amazon to alert you to the status of a purchase.  In the past two weeks, we saw this as many in the Diocese received email from their “Rectors” asking assistance in purchasing comfort items or gift cards for a hospitalized parishioner.  Beyond the threat of spoofing, darker threats exist ranging malware (viruses, Trojan horses, etc.), to ransomwares that will render your device inoperable unless a fee is paid to the hacker.  It does sound grim but just as Goliath was taken down by a small stone, there are small things we can do to stave off this mischief.

All of our electronic communications devices should be protected by antivirus software. Consult the independent product reviews in order to make an informed decision when considering your purchase.  Your second strong line of defense is determining who the true sender of the email actually is.  An email received with “Father Scott” in the sender’s ID may look legitimate, but a mouse over may reveal an address of therevscott@google.ru.  Do not open these.  If you’re unsure of the validity of an email, its best to simply delete without opening it.

Finally, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has a public website providing info in avoiding cybercrime at the following address:  https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/cyber

The Rev. Andy Terry is a Deacon at All Saints’ in Woodbridge, VA and a Supervisory Electronics Technician and Program Manager of the FBI’s Nontraditional Tracking Program.

Survey from the DOMA Child Protection Committee

The Child Protection Committee has pondered in recent weeks what we can learn from the CDC and others about communication, prevention and protection. To combat the child sexual abuse crisis in our culture and in the church, we must offer clear and consistent training in our churches regarding our well-researched best practices for child protection. And we must better understand if there is any part of our child protection policy that isn’t working in real life, remedy it and leave no room for confusion.

To that end, would you please take the time to help us evaluate where we are right now in our mission to keep God’s name holy and His children safe in our DOMA churches? Your honest input on the following brief survey will provide helpful information which will direct the DOMA Child Protection Committee in its future work. Be safe and thank you for giving this your attention in these challenging days.

Take the Survey

Ordinations in the Diocese

• Peter Schwanda, ordination to the transitional diaconate on June 20, at Christ the King, Alexandria, VA
• Steve Cannizzaro, ordination to the priesthood on June 24 at The Falls Church, Falls Church, VA
• Michael Mayo, ordination to the diaconate on June 24 at The Falls Church, Falls Church, VA

Peter Schwanda was ordained to the transitional diaconate on June 20 at Christ the King, Alexandria, VA


Steve Cannizzaro was ordained to the priesthood and Michael Mayo to the transitional diaconate on June 24 at The Falls Church, Falls Church, VA (Photo credit: Craig Thoburn)

Lay Leaders Represent the Diocese at ACNA

The Provincial Council of the Anglican Church in North America this week elected Albert Thompson (right photo) of Christ the King, Alexandria, to the ACNA Executive Committee, joining Jeff Walton (left photo) of Incarnation, South Arlington on the 12-member lay and clergy leadership body of our Church.

The ACNA’s Pursuit Of Racial Reconciliation

During day one of the ACNA’s 2020 virtual Provincial Council, Abp. Foley Beach’s address focused on casting his expansive vision for the ACNA’s response to racism, racial tensions, and racial reconciliation. With special thanks to Dr. Barbara Gauthier for transcribing his address for her readers. (The video of ++Beach’s entire address will be made available on Facebook, but it is not up yet.):

The past few months have not only been pandemic but pandemonium. We have watched evil displayed by fellow image-bearers and some police officers in recent weeks. We have heard cries of grief in our own neighborhoods and from all around the world. And the cries have gotten louder. We watched as peaceful protests were hijacked by chaos and violence, destroying countless businesses and property, and injuring not only bystanders but also injuring over 800 police officers, some of whom have been killed as well. We still have a long way to go.

In the US we have struggled to overcome the effects of systemic racism from our founding days, and we know that changing laws would never be enough. Victories for civil rights, and for the desegregation of our schools would never be enough. For you see we don’t have just a skin problem, we have a sin problem. As Dr. Tony Evans of Oak Cliff Bible Church in Dallas Texas recently said, “The evangelical church needs to speak up where it has been silent on injustice and racism. The biggest problem in the culture today is the failure of the church. We wouldn’t even have a racial crisis in America if the church had not consistently failed to deal with racism as the severe sin it is. But because the church has historically ignored and downplayed it, the issue still exists. Where the church is called to set an example, we have cowered.”

A New Website for the ACNA

Ministry During Summer 2020

To say “2020” has been a strange year is an understatement. Learning how to continue ministry through COVID-19 has been challenging yet incredibly rewarding. God has worked mightily through each of you for His glory and for the expansion of His kingdom. We praise God for each of you! The Diocese would like to share what you are doing this summer in terms of outreach, evangelism, community service, and fellowship. In addition to continuing to share with the Diocese invitations to events open to other churches and the community, please send us your stories and photos throughout summer 2020. We would love to celebrate with you through the Messenger and social media. To God be the Glory!

Submit summer news HERE

The Mid-Atlantic Messenger